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Brand New to Modelling: RCAF CF-188


PatsyTy

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Good morning (or afternoon depending on what side of the Atlantic you're on) everyone,

 

This will be my first model, along with my first thread on model making online! There will be many questions, and possibly something worthwhile looking at in the end.

 

I have chosen to make a model based off of my nation's primary multirole fighter. I recently purchased a Canucks Models CF-188 special edition with the Battle of Britain decals. Plans are to order Canada's FIB Decal kit from Canuck models and base the model off of a CF-188 that participated in Operation Mobile. 

 

As for workspace, this is how I have been working, soon to change however as I am heading back to school today

 

OdwEwiu.jpg

 

As for actual progress, I have assembled the seat, and have painted most of the cockpit black for further detailing

 

h3sjuAp.jpg

 

lf27lQZ.jpg

 

I have found I love the assembly of parts, the painting on the other hand I am very unhappy with. I feel that the paint has gone on too thick, and that there is texture from the paint that makes it look messy. I am considering finding a way to strip the paint off the parts (they are only dry assembled aside from the seat) and having another go. I need to decide if I am going to go ahead and get an airbrush when I get my next paycheck, I have a feeling I won't ever be happy with brush painted models. Plenty to think about on the drive today!

 

Comments and criticism are encouraged!

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22 minutes ago, Jessica said:

It may be that you need to thin the paint a bit, that makes brushing it a bit easier. Also you need to stir it thoroughly to mix the pigment into the carrier so it doesn't clump up.

 

Thanks for the tip, I've decided to try brush painting it again. Off to the hardware store today to get something to strip the paint off and try again tomorrow.

 

Once I get a pin vice to drill the signal light on the side of the plane I'll start work on the fuselage

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Update number two...

 

First off I decided to strip the black coat on the cockpit, I felt too much detail was lost and really did not like the look of it.

 

ZyDRyym.jpg

 

I soaked everything in Castrol SuperClean for around 6 hours and scrubbed the paint off under cold water with a toothbrush. I'm satisfied with this. Although not all the paint is gone the detail is back, which is what I was looking for! I did not bother with the rear seat as it will be covered as I plan on this CF-188 being a combat variation and not the trainer variation. 

 

With much thanks to everyone in my intro thread I managed to get the spotter light drilled, inserted, then it burst! My guess is in my quest to get it as snugly fit as possible I caused too much compressive stress on the clear light piece and it blew up. Quite evident by the stress marks protruding from the left hand side, I'm lucky the fuselage did not break. 

 

N0uFi4W.jpg

 

Most of the lights on the CF-188s were removed after the cold war as they were usually used to intercept Russian bombers along Canada's northern borders. I will work on filling the hole, sanding it down, and painting it so it resembles plexiglass (which the RCAF commonly used to cover the light.) 

 

While I waited for the stripping of the cockpit to be complete, I worked on as much of the fuselage as possible without the cockpit. Progress has slowed as I paint the wheel bays white, something that seems to take many coats for white enamel paints!

 

aShppM6.jpg

 

I am determined to not make the same mistake as with the cockpit, and to use many thin layers of paint for this portion! I have watered down the paint with enamel thinner. Photographed is after two layers. Any tips on best painting practices for brush painting would be very appreciated!

 

Overall progress I feel is going well. I am enjoying the assembly very much, and although painting is not my favorite I can handle it! I have a couple components on the go that will hopefully soon come together well!

 

FilBYzl.jpg

 

Finally a quick dry fit on the nose and the rest of the fuselage

 

p3BGux4.jpg

 

Overall I feel good about my progress, albeit a bit worried I am going down the wrong rabbit hole somewhere. My girlfriend, who is studying visual arts, mentioned she may be able to get me into the art studio to use an airbrush which I am very excited to try! No more fiddling with brush strokes and the likes!

 

Again any suggestions, comments and/or criticism are greatly appreciated!

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Several thin coats!

usually with hairy sticks I'll stick 3 coats on as a normal day out.

7 hours ago, Bell209 said:

Airbrushes are great but come with their own challenges. Keep at it - most of us here are old farts who started this hobby before we were ten!

Not quite old but farty for sure.....

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9 hours ago, Bell209 said:

Airbrushes are great but come with their own challenges. Keep at it - most of us here are old farts who started this hobby before we were ten!

 

I'm sure of that, luckily I have an expert (the gf) to help me out. It will be her first time using one on a model though.

 

2 hours ago, Jessica said:

If you like, you can drill out that light again, and replace it with a bit of clear sprue cut and polished. A tip for the landing gear bays: Paint them in flat white first; it covers better. Then paint a gloss coat.

 

Thanks Jessica. In my testing it seems that the clear spurs go very cloudy when sanded down, is there a way to avoid this? I noticed there is a mark on the canopy from the manufacturing process, however I am worried to sand it down as I do not want a white canopy!

 

2 hours ago, Harrier/ViperFan said:

Or if you can get Humbrol Gloss White Spray can, it goes on smooth and looks perfect, that's what I use for white areas such as air intakes wheel wells, even the bottom half for a FG.1 Phantom.

 

Sadly the hobby store is closed today, and I fear they're beginning to recognize me there (I've been in four days in a row now!) I will for sure for my next model, sounds like perfect practice for masking.

 

1 hour ago, It's a disease said:

Several thin coats!

usually with hairy sticks I'll stick 3 coats on as a normal day out.

Not quite old but farty for sure.....

 

I have two coats on right now, and it is still quite grey. I'm going to try Jessica's suggestion of using matte white then adding glossy white on top.

 

I have a new question for everyone now. I bought a can of white primer which I was planning on using on the body of the plane after it was assembled. After trying to paint some of the detailed areas (landing gear bays, cockpit) I have a feeling using primer would help the process. For workflow, would you recommend finishing the model, then priming and painting? Or should I mask areas as I go, prime and paint throughout the process of assembling? For masking should I only use the special model tape, or will hardware store green painters tape work fine?

 

Hopefully more work will be done today in between studying, fingers crossed for another update tonight!

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You can get canopy polishing sticks in the hobby shop (Look for the triple grit polisher/finisher about halfway down the page), or in the fingernail care section of your local drug store. You need the kind which has 3 or 4 progressively finer grits, ending with something like a soft suede which gives your clear plastic a sparkling, shiny finish. Toothpaste and an old T-shirt can also help you polish out scratches on clear plastic.

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I am one of those old farts previously mentioned..........

 

Welcome to the gang.

I believe in brush painting, building & priming in sections and Tamiya tape. Slow and steady wins the race, thin your paint and give it plenty of drying time. You'll get there.

Remember, the faster you work the faster you finish and the more models you have to buy!

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Great to see someone new to the hobby. I'll second the use of Micromesh for polishing clear parts. An airbrush certainly helps get a good even paint layer, but it takes practice! I'm finding myself moving more and more towards the airbrush instead of hairy stick as I get more used to it. Get a decent one if you can. I battled through with an Aztec for a few years and always hated the moment when it came to paint...I now have an Iwata and it is so much easier to use and gives a much better finish!

 

Ian

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Nail polishers can also be used for sprucing up your canopy, and they're cheaper than the equivalent modelling products :)  Just put the phrase into eBay and you'll come up with some good ones.  They're usually shiny white on the polishing side, and a grey/green on the prep side.  Very handy :yes:

 

:welcome: to the hobby... you're stuck now! :wicked: When you've got a few kits under your belt, you might feel the urge to invest in an airbrush - if it comes, don't fight it, as they'll transform the way you model, and once you've got used to using one, you'll be able to tackle soft-edged camo, mottle, and all sorts! :yahoo: There are pitfalls of course, but if you don't give up at the first hurdle, you'll be fine.  If I can learn to airbrush, anyone can ;)

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Hello Patsy,

Very glad to see a brand new modeller.

Welcome aboard.

To strip the paint down, anyway Enamel or acrylics, I use sprays of oven cleaner.

That make a kind of white foam, you let it for a night and the toothbrush.

Easy, ok, a bit farty too since that stuff did'nt smell like roses:unsure:
Good job so far.

I enjoy it.

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

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27 minutes ago, corsaircorp said:

 

Easy, ok, a bit farty too since that stuff did'nt smell like roses:unsure:
 

 

Eggs go in, eggs come out,

cabbage goes in, cabbage comes out!

how often do you eat roses?

its a theory I have, surely if you ate roses....

(Sorry that offers absolutely no help for modelling)

erm..... Oh yeah, micro mesh! That stuff is out of this world, so plus one on one that.

everybody does things different, you'll find what works, after a few kits of course!

(see, subliminal coercion)

 

you can acheive almost similar results with a normal brush, there is just a difference in overall detail fidelity. What I found, 1/72 is my scale, using a normal brush fighters no problems, bombers, you'll be put off quite quickly!

airbrush hmm 1:72 fighters are almost a bit too small to warrant getting the thing dirty......but that's my scale so I do!

but oh the pleasure of laying paint on anything big after you've done your time with regular brush work!

dont be disillusioned though, many tasks still require regular brush dexterity! You use both equally really, some things can't be done with Either choice......

Edited by It's a disease
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7 minutes ago, It's a disease said:

 

 

how often do you eat roses?

its a theory I have, surely if you ate roses....

 

:huh: My father used to eat roses, when he was completely drunk,

Never dared to try to smell the result...

No more helpfull in modelling however....

But after a model convention sometimes:huh: Who know ??

Corsaircorp

 

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Update Number Three

 

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10 hours ago, The Yorkshireman said:

Try micromesh products for sanding the clear sprue, I've had a couple of canopies that have been restored using them. (Amazon do sell them).

Cleaning the plastic thoroughly and a coat of primer certainly helps.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Thanks, I am building up a list of Amazon items I need to order! Is there a certain type of primer that you feel works best?

 

6 hours ago, Jessica said:

You can get canopy polishing sticks in the hobby shop (Look for the triple grit polisher/finisher about halfway down the page), or in the fingernail care section of your local drug store. You need the kind which has 3 or 4 progressively finer grits, ending with something like a soft suede which gives your clear plastic a sparkling, shiny finish. Toothpaste and an old T-shirt can also help you polish out scratches on clear plastic.

 
 

 

Thank you gain Jessica, your tips have been a huge help! Next time I'm at the drugstore I'll go looking for some good fingernail polishers!

 

6 hours ago, phildagreek said:

I am one of those old farts previously mentioned..........

 

Welcome to the gang.

I believe in brush painting, building & priming in sections and Tamiya tape. Slow and steady wins the race, thin your paint and give it plenty of drying time. You'll get there.

Remember, the faster you work the faster you finish and the more models you have to buy!

 
 
 
 
 

 

As a student who still needs to buy groceries, your reminder is a great one! At first I was getting frustrated with the paints, however, I am growing accustomed to them for the small bits, and am enjoying some of the painting!

 

6 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Great to see someone new to the hobby. I'll second the use of Micromesh for polishing clear parts. An airbrush certainly helps get a good even paint layer, but it takes practice! I'm finding myself moving more and more towards the airbrush instead of hairy stick as I get more used to it. Get a decent one if you can. I battled through with an Aztec for a few years and always hated the moment when it came to paint...I now have an Iwata and it is so much easier to use and gives a much better finish!

 

Ian

 
 
 
 
 

 

After spending money on other tools, an airbrush is starting to look like a summer time purchase for when I'm working full time. When I start looking for one you can all be sure I'll be here asking for help and doing plenty of research!

 

6 hours ago, Mike said:

Nail polishers can also be used for sprucing up your canopy, and they're cheaper than the equivalent modelling products :)  Just put the phrase into eBay and you'll come up with some good ones.  They're usually shiny white on the polishing side, and a grey/green on the prep side.  Very handy :yes:

 

:welcome: to the hobby... you're stuck now! :wicked: When you've got a few kits under your belt, you might feel the urge to invest in an airbrush - if it comes, don't fight it, as they'll transform the way you model, and once you've got used to using one, you'll be able to tackle soft-edged camo, mottle, and all sorts! :yahoo: There are pitfalls of course, but if you don't give up at the first hurdle, you'll be fine.  If I can learn to airbrush, anyone can ;)

 
 
 
 
 

 

Thank you Mike, a drugstore trip is on the itinerary for the week and I will get some nail polish. Looking forward to some funny looks from the clerks. 

 

Only part way through the model and I am looking forward to the time when I can try an airbrush. My girlfriend has access to them in the art department at the University, so I may need to get her some flowers and ask very nicely if I can borrow one!

 

6 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

Hello Patsy,

Very glad to see a brand new modeller.

Welcome aboard.

To strip the paint down, anyway Enamel or acrylics, I use sprays of oven cleaner.

That make a kind of white foam, you let it for a night and the toothbrush.

Easy, ok, a bit farty too since that stuff did'nt smell like roses:unsure:
Good job so far.

I enjoy it.

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

 
 
 
 
 

 

Corsaircorp, I managed to get most of the paint off with Castrol SuperClean, sounds like it smells better than oven cleaner. If I run into anything trickier that SuperClean can't handle I will try oven cleaner!

 

5 hours ago, It's a disease said:

 

Eggs go in, eggs come out,

cabbage goes in, cabbage comes out!

how often do you eat roses?

its a theory I have, surely if you ate roses....

(Sorry that offers absolutely no help for modelling)

erm..... Oh yeah, micro mesh! That stuff is out of this world, so plus one on one that.

everybody does things different, you'll find what works, after a few kits of course!

(see, subliminal coercion)

 

you can acheive almost similar results with a normal brush, there is just a difference in overall detail fidelity. What I found, 1/72 is my scale, using a normal brush fighters no problems, bombers, you'll be put off quite quickly!

airbrush hmm 1:72 fighters are almost a bit too small to warrant getting the thing dirty......but that's my scale so I do!

but oh the pleasure of laying paint on anything big after you've done your time with regular brush work!

dont be disillusioned though, many tasks still require regular brush dexterity! You use both equally really, some things can't be done with Either choice......

 
 
 
 
 

 

Thank you for the reply It's a Disease! I found the brush was great for painting small details in the cockpit. The body of the aircraft worries me some, the F-18 has a decent amount of surface area to cover. Hopefully I'll manage, I've always been told I am stubborn. Sounds like there are certain tools for certain jobs, fingers crossed soon I'll be able to differentiate between the right and wrong choice!

 

Photo Update

 

Today has been quite a productive day! In between studying, grocery shopping, and a quick run to the hardware store I managed to get a decent amount of work done on the jet. Work in the morning felt slow, it mostly consisted of priming the stripped cockpit pieces, and many layers of white for the landing gear.

 

Although overall it may not look like a lot of work completed, I have spent a good amount of time with painting today. I have really focused on not being too aggressive with painting so I don't loose too much detail.

 

BUlEkpy.jpg

 

The landing gear bays were the biggest challenge today, the white paint just did not want to layer well on the gray plastic. 

 

9r7yI94.jpg

 

It took six coats, four glossy and two mat whites, to get to this color. I'll go back and detail some of the cables, however, I don't believe I will spend too much more time on these bays until I get around to working on the landing gear.

 

534uKuI.jpg

 

The gray is much harder to see from afar, it'll do for now until I get the urge to do some more layers of white. Next time I will follow Viper/Harrier Fan's suggestion and use Humbrol Gloss White Spray.

 

The part I am most proud of is the cockpit. It's my first time trying to paint details only millimeters wide, and I managed to stay (for the most part) in the lines! 

 

3WY8bvD.jpg

 

Certainly much better than my first attempt.

 

5Evfg0C.jpg

 

The last part I complete today was adding the wings. I have read online that the Academy F-18s, which this model is based on, sometimes don't have the best fittings. The wings weren't terrible, that being said it would be quite easy to get their forward rotation off. The actual F-18 has wings that tip slightly downwards at the tips, the first dry fit it appeared that they were to parallel to the body, in the end I managed to get a fit that I was happy with while gluing them to the body.

 

QxdFzhj.jpg

 

Conclusion

 

Productive day today and no questions off the top of my head! Hopefully this week I have some time to work further on the plane, however, I have two midterms that will most likely monopolize my time. If I manage to get some work done I will make sure to update everyone!

 

I would like to thank everyone for their enthusiasm in answering my questions. I've been having an absolute blast working on this plane and much of that has to do with how great the community here has been!

 

Thanks again! As always, comments, criticisms and suggestions always encouraged!

 

ps. I lied. Quick question. Filler; do you usually fill as you go with the model, all at the end, or does it matter?

 

 

 

 

Edited by PatsyTy
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It depends on the location of the seam. Some will be unreachable after assembly is complete or surrounded by details wich make sanding difficult. You have to figure how to sand each of them and make a decision about the balance of ease to sand/detail destruction and rebuilding.

 

 

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As above, really depends.....

every kit is different.

usually I go bit by bit, then it's easier to keep track, you know, wing halves, glued and filled, ready to fit.....

smaller kits it's less bothersome but on bigger builds it sure helps!

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13 hours ago, PatsyTy said:

Update Number Three

 

Post Responses

 

 

Thanks, I am building up a list of Amazon items I need to order! Is there a certain type of primer that you feel works best?

 

 

Thank you gain Jessica, your tips have been a huge help! Next time I'm at the drugstore I'll go looking for some good fingernail polishers!

 

 

As a student who still needs to buy groceries, your reminder is a great one! At first I was getting frustrated with the paints, however, I am growing accustomed to them for the small bits, and am enjoying some of the painting!

 

 

After spending money on other tools, an airbrush is starting to look like a summer time purchase for when I'm working full time. When I start looking for one you can all be sure I'll be here asking for help and doing plenty of research!

 

 

Thank you Mike, a drugstore trip is on the itinerary for the week and I will get some nail polish. Looking forward to some funny looks from the clerks. 

 

Only part way through the model and I am looking forward to the time when I can try an airbrush. My girlfriend has access to them in the art department at the University, so I may need to get her some flowers and ask very nicely if I can borrow one!

 

 

Corsaircorp, I managed to get most of the paint off with Castrol SuperClean, sounds like it smells better than oven cleaner. If I run into anything trickier that SuperClean can't handle I will try oven cleaner!

 

 

Thank you for the reply It's a Disease! I found the brush was great for painting small details in the cockpit. The body of the aircraft worries me some, the F-18 has a decent amount of surface area to cover. Hopefully I'll manage, I've always been told I am stubborn. Sounds like there are certain tools for certain jobs, fingers crossed soon I'll be able to differentiate between the right and wrong choice!

 

Photo Update

 

Today has been quite a productive day! In between studying, grocery shopping, and a quick run to the hardware store I managed to get a decent amount of work done on the jet. Work in the morning felt slow, it mostly consisted of priming the stripped cockpit pieces, and many layers of white for the landing gear.

 

Although overall it may not look like a lot of work completed, I have spent a good amount of time with painting today. I have really focused on not being too aggressive with painting so I don't loose too much detail.

 

BUlEkpy.jpg

 

The landing gear bays were the biggest challenge today, the white paint just did not want to layer well on the gray plastic. 

 

9r7yI94.jpg

 

It took six coats, four glossy and two mat whites, to get to this color. I'll go back and detail some of the cables, however, I don't believe I will spend too much more time on these bays until I get around to working on the landing gear.

 

534uKuI.jpg

 

The gray is much harder to see from afar, it'll do for now until I get the urge to do some more layers of white. Next time I will follow Viper/Harrier Fan's suggestion and use Humbrol Gloss White Spray.

 

The part I am most proud of is the cockpit. It's my first time trying to paint details only millimeters wide, and I managed to stay (for the most part) in the lines! 

 

3WY8bvD.jpg

 

Certainly much better than my first attempt.

 

5Evfg0C.jpg

 

The last part I complete today was adding the wings. I have read online that the Academy F-18s, which this model is based on, sometimes don't have the best fittings. The wings weren't terrible, that being said it would be quite easy to get their forward rotation off. The actual F-18 has wings that tip slightly downwards at the tips, the first dry fit it appeared that they were to parallel to the body, in the end I managed to get a fit that I was happy with while gluing them to the body.

 

QxdFzhj.jpg

 

Conclusion

 

Productive day today and no questions off the top of my head! Hopefully this week I have some time to work further on the plane, however, I have two midterms that will most likely monopolize my time. If I manage to get some work done I will make sure to update everyone!

 

I would like to thank everyone for their enthusiasm in answering my questions. I've been having an absolute blast working on this plane and much of that has to do with how great the community here has been!

 

Thanks again! As always, comments, criticisms and suggestions always encouraged!

 

ps. I lied. Quick question. Filler; do you usually fill as you go with the model, all at the end, or does it matter?

 

 

 

 

I personally find Halfords primers the easiest to work with ( but only available in the uk !!) but generally any modelling primer will work (Tamiya, Mr S, etc  but I wouldn't use the Hataka brand (see @simmerit chinook  build), had a slight disagreement with it.

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The "problems" with Hataka acrylics descibed in Chinook threads were conneted with 2015 formula (we publicly admited and apologized for that many times) and they no longer exists. Unfortunatelly it takes time to regain trust. If I can help somehow, let me know

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10 hours ago, HATAKA OFFICIAL said:

The "problems" with Hataka acrylics descibed in Chinook threads were conneted with 2015 formula (we publicly admited and apologized for that many times) and they no longer exists. Unfortunatelly it takes time to regain trust. If I can help somehow, let me know

That's good to know!

Honest and brave too!

Well done.

Maybe I will try the Falklands Argentina set now.....

The trouble with the Internet, things are set almost in stone, it's easy to find and keep finding results, good or bad.

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21 hours ago, HATAKA OFFICIAL said:

The "problems" with Hataka acrylics descibed in Chinook threads were conneted with 2015 formula (we publicly admited and apologized for that many times) and they no longer exists. Unfortunatelly it takes time to regain trust. If I can help somehow, let me know

 

Thanks, I've never used Hataka Acryclics (never have actually used acrylics). For my next model I'm considering trying acrylics, so if Hataka is available at my hobby store I'll give them a try!

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